Coverage of the news that Judge Denny Chin has rejected the proposed settlement between Google and the Authors Guild and other plaintiffs. From the Chronicle of Higher Education; from the American Library Association; from the ABA Journal's Law News Now. In brief, Judge Chin found that under the settlement, Google would have the power to create a monopoly over "orphan works" and would be exempt from liability for infringement under copyright laws.

While the digitization of books and the creation of a universal digital library would benefit many, the ASA would simply go too far. It would permit this class action--which was brought against defendant Google Inc. ("Google") to challenge its scanning of books and display of "snippets" for on-line searching--to implement a forward-looking business arrangement that would grant Google significant rights to exploit entire books, without permission of the copyright owners. Indeed, the ASA would give Google a significant advantage over competitors, rewarding it for engaging in wholesale copying of copyrighted works without permission, while releasing claims well beyond those presented in the case.